Dryha Polina

Polinochka is a long‑awaited child in the family. For five long years the mother could not get pregnant, and then a miracle happened: on May 21 2013 a little “Pusya” (that’s how she is gently called in the family) was born. Already in her first day of life Polina delighted her parents with her charming smile and continues to do so. Polina is a cheerful and mischievous child. But with Polina’s birth a hardship also entered the family.

The long‑awaited baby was born with a diagnosis of a congenital heart defect. After countless examinations, everything boiled down to an expensive implant that could close the defect. But Driha’s family could not afford it. The girl’s father works in a shoe workshop and earns 2,000 UAH per month. The mother is on maternity leave, the young couple has no own apartment and lives with their parents. Polina’s doctor – Bohdan Volodymyrovych Cherpak – advised them to seek help from the Future Hearts Charity Foundation. The girl’s mother turned to us just as we were planning a joint campaign with SC Johnson and Watsons called “Children of Peace”. One hryvnia from each Glade product sold in Watsons stores went toward purchasing occluders for children who applied to the foundation for assistance. Thanks to the campaign, SC Johnson purchased three occluders.

One of the occluders was transferred to the Amosov National Institute of Cardiovascular Surgery by SC Johnson and Watsons for Polinka Dryha. On 13.05.14, Polinka and her parents arrived at the Amosov National Institute of Cardiovascular Surgery for the scheduled operation. However, during the pre‑operative examination, elevated white blood cells were found in her blood, which prevented the surgery. They were sent home to recover fully. After that, the family came to the Amosov National Institute of Cardiovascular Surgery two more times, and again the test results did not allow the operation. Our foundation, together with SC Johnson, decided that we would wait for Polinka’s recovery in any case and would definitely help this child. On 25.11.14, her operation was successfully performed. We are confident that Polinka’s heart is completely healthy, and her loving parents can now stop worrying about her heart.

The Driha family and the Future Hearts Charity Foundation express our heartfelt gratitude to SC Johnson and Watsons. Thank you for your compassion, your readiness to extend a helping hand to those in need, your caring hearts, love for people, and your tremendous contribution to the country’s future and the advancement of medicine. Thanks to your support, little girl Polinka Dryha will be able to live a full, thriving life! Together, our hearts create miracles!